Hawaiʻi State LGBTQ+ Commission vice chairperson receives Visionary Legacy Award

Hawaiʻi State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) Commission Vice Chairperson Michael Golojuch Jr. received a lifetime achievement honor presented by Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation.

Golojuch will formally receive the foundation’s Visionary Legacy Award during its annual fundrasier “A Wickedly Gayla: Vision Without Limits” on Thursday, April 2. The event celebrates leaders who made transformative and lasting contributions to Hawaiʻi’s LGBTQ+ community.

“Michael’s leadership is nothing short of visionary,” wrote the commission in a joint statement. “From shaping policy to building community, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that LGBTQ+ people in Hawaiʻi are not only protected but empowered to thrive.”

Golojuch is an inaugural member of the commission and has played a central role in establishing its foundation and impact.

He developed the commission’s social media presence, guided its legislative priorities, produced the inaugural Queer Day at the Capitol and launched the Rainbow Pau Hana: Queer Leadership Gathering to strengthen collaboration among LGBTQ+ leaders throughout Hawaiʻi.

His dedication to visibility and community connection is exemplified by attending every Pride event statewide in 2025.

Golojuch has spent more than two decades advancing LGBTQ+ rights, labor equity and civic engagement.

He serves as president of Pride at Work – Hawaiʻi and vice president of Hawaiʻi State AFL-CIO, where he champions the rights of LGBTQ+ workers.

His longstanding leadership within the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, including his tenure as chairperson of the Stonewall Caucus, helped institutionalize LGBTQ+ representation in political spaces and policymaking.

Golojuch’s advocacy contributed to many of Hawaiʻi’s most significant civil rights milestones, including the passage of civil unions, marriage equality, protections based on gender identity and a ban on conversion therapy for minors.

“This recognition is a testament to decades of tireless advocacy, coalition-building and unwavering commitment to justice,” the commission wrote.

Golojuch has achieved so much, but his job is far from done.

He has several priorities in his work:

• Addressing the needs for Hawai‘i’s homeless unaccompanied minors by establishing safe haven shelters on all the islands.
• Lowering the barriers between Hawai‘i’s LGBTQIA+ community and Hawai‘i government.
• Expanding gender markers on Hawai‘i State birth certificates.
• Addressing the needs of Hawai‘i’s graying LGBTQIA+ community.
• Educating/highlighting everyone about Hawai‘i’s LGBTQIA+ community’s history and our contributions to the society as a whole.

The Visionary Legacy Award honors people whose leadership fundamentally shaped Hawaiʻi’s LGBTQ+ movement.

Golojuch joins a distinguished group of who has won the award:

• Retired Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Foley.
• Retired U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang.
• Retired Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Steven Levinson
• Princess Abigail Kawānanakoa.
• Dr. David McEwan.
• Jack Law.
• Kelly Sanders.
• Oʻahu state Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto.

“Vice Chair Golojuch’s legacy is woven into the fabric of Hawaiʻi’s progress,” the commission added. “We are incredibly proud to celebrate this well-deserved honor and grateful for his continued leadership in building a more just and inclusive Hawaiʻi for all.”